Heat Wave
by RDJ-bae
Summary: Pepper finally takes a much needed vacation during the hottest week of the year... and her AC goes out. So, she calls in a favor. As it turns out, more than just the temperature outside has her hot. Set somewhere between IM1 and IM2, off-canon. Will be a 10-chapter story.
1. Friday

**DISCLAIMER:**

 _I do not own, nor do I profit from, the Iron Man Trilogy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any of the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

 **Hello again! So this idea popped into my head a few days back (it was sweltering hot outside) and I have not been able to shake it. So, getting this out of my system so I can go back to writing Longing. This should be fun and flirty, so I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors as I do not write with a beta.**

xXxXxXx

 **-FRIDAY-**

"Okay, so…" Pepper sighed as she scrolled through her blackberry one final time for the evening, following her suit-clad boss down the hall and away from his office. It was finally Friday night and they were leaving the building; him for the weekend and her for the entire week, as she was beginning her week of paid time off starting the moment they reach the front door.

"I was able to push most of the meetings and press conferences to next week after I get back but there is one Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday in New York that I couldn't get you out of so I scheduled the jet to take you Monday night." She looked up at him as they came to a stop in front of the elevator doors, waiting for his reaction.

He didn't react at all.

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped in, Pepper blindly pressing the button for the main lobby as she continued to scroll through her phone, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

"I've already set up reminders on your phone and arranged for Happy to take you to the air strip. The penthouse at the Mandarin is booked Monday night through Wednesday morning for you and the jet will bring you back whenever you're ready. Aside from that you are pretty much free to do what you want for the week." The doors closed behind them and the elevator began its decent.

Still no reaction.

She locked her phone and stuck it in the designer tote bag she carried on her shoulder. "I packed you a bag and a suit and left both by your wardrobe in your bedroom," she said as she folded her hands in front of her and bounced slightly on her toes.

"Going through my underwear drawer again, Pep?" Tony tsk'd as he gave her a mock-disapproving look.

She merely rolled her eyes at him. Of course that would get a reaction.

Feeling satisfied that she had relayed all necessary information to him, she let the stress of work melt away. "If I didn't then you would no doubt forget to pack them at all."

Tony let her have that one, knowing she was probably right, and quickly went back to sulking and feeling bad for himself. "It's going to be a record-gorgeous week here in Malibu and you're sending me to New York for three days where it's been raining all week. Your vacation is starting to feel like my punishment for something."

Pepper chuckled and shook her head. "It's a day and a half – _tops_ – and I literally cleared your entire schedule for the rest of the week so you wouldn't have to do anything until I get back. What more do you want from me?"

Tony quirked a brow at her and smirked. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Pepper glared at him and was about to chastise him for his energizer-bunny libido when they reached the ground floor and the elevator sounded their arrival. The doors opened and she cleared her throat, but didn't drop the smile. "Saved by the ding."

The pair disembarked the elevator into the main lobby of Stark Industries, Peppers heels clicking as they walked toward where Happy was waiting by the front door. Tony unfastened the top button of his dress shirt and pulled his sunglasses out of his jacket pocket, slipping them on as they approached their friend.

"Alright then," Pepper started as she gleefully took the set of keys Happy had been holding up for her, thanking him with her eyes and a smile and turned back to her boss. "This is where I get off."

Tony smirked and bit back the naughty remark he was dying to make. She was lucky Happy was standing there.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" she asked with a beaming smile.

Tony loved the way she always said that to him with a slight smirk on her face. Looking at her for a long moment he was full of all sorts of mixed emotions about this vacation of hers. She deserved it, there was absolutely no doubt about that. She deserved _more_ than just the week she was taking - but he was fairly certain he hadn't been without her by his side for more than a day since the start of her employment with him several years ago.

If you don't count that time he was kidnapped and held captive for three months, that is.

He digressed. She worked even harder to maintain everything in his absence. He doubted she even got to enjoy a weekend during that time. Despite all of this, he was feeling pretty down about not being able to see her for seven whole days. Reluctantly, he had to let her go.

"That will be all, Miss Potts. Enjoy your vacation."

"I will see you both next week," she said as she tossed her tote bag in the passenger seat of Tony's white Audi and slipped gracefully into the driver's seat of the luxurious car, grateful he'd offered it to her for the week since she didn't actually own a car of her own.

What was the point when Happy was always around?

"Until next Monday, miss Potts," Tony smiled, waving her off with a flick of his wrist and watching her with astonishing attraction as she started up the engine of his car with a dramatic purr. He wasn't sure if it was the sight in front of him or the sweltering heat outside but he had to loosen his tie as he watched her pull her long slender legs inside the vehicle before closing the door behind her.

 _Was that a sense of… pride?_

Pepper buckled herself in and waved back at them as she pulled away and Tony found himself staring, longer than what could be deemed as appropriate for a boss to stare at his PA, especially with an audience, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. He waited until she rounded the corner and was out of sight before turning back to Happy.

"Shall we?" his longtime friend asked as he motioned to the Rolls Royce.

Tony spared one last glance back to where he had last laid eyes on her and sighed as the realization of defeat set in. "Yeah, get me out of here. I'm parched. Got any scotch?"

xXxXxXx

It was almost ten o'clock when Tony's cell phone rang. He was waist deep in titanium alloy parts for his new and improved Iron Man suit and while he would normally just ignore the thing, he knew only one person in his contacts list with that particular ringtone ad he was immediately distracted by the possibilities of the nature of her call.

Tapping one of the many screens that surrounded him he didn't even bother to say hello.

"You know," he started. "One might refer to someone who calls their boss…" he checked his watch before wrenching on one of his thruster boots again, "three hours into their vacation- a workaholic."

"Tony," she whined a little. "Don't start with me. I need a huge favor, but I need to know if you have company over."

"Well that depends on what you need," he said, the smirk evident in his voice.

Pepper didn't have time for games. "Are you even home? Are you with a girl, do you have a girl over?" she asked again.

Tony was taken aback by the utter urgency and annoyance in her voice. "Come on, Potts. When was the last time I brought anyone home with me? It's been at least six or seven months, you should know that."

"Well, I don't know _every_ detail of your life, Tony, you never know..."

Tony smiled and shook his head to himself. "Uh, actually I think you _do_ know every detail of my life. I wouldn't last two weeks without you, remember?"

Pepper chuckled a little on the other end but he could tell she was still tense.

"What's going on?"

She let out a deep sigh. "There was a fire in the basement of my apartment building. Everyone is fine but they shut everything off after they doused the place. My unit is unharmed except I have no central air, no running water, no electricity-"

Tony sat up straight and set down the wrench. "So what are you doing calling me? Get here," he smiled.

Pepper smiled to herself on her end, relieved at his invitation as well as the fact that he was apparently sitting at home alone on a Friday night. That thought was oddly comforting.

"Are you sure it's alright? It should only be for a day or two but I couldn't think of anywhere else to go other than a hotel but I've already got some clothes in the spare room at your place and-"

"Potts," he interrupted. "What are you rambling on for? I said get here."

"Thank you Tony. I owe you."

He sat back in his chair and rubbed his chest. "I can think of one or two creative ways you can pay me…"

"Tony…" she warned.

Tony smiled and wiped his hands on a grease towel, abandoning his project for the night and preparing to spend some time upstairs for once. Playful banter with his off-the-clock PA sounded much more fun anyway.

"I'll tell you what," he said as he switched from the speakerphone to his hand set and bounded up the stairs two at a time. "Pick up some Pad Thai on your way over and we'll call it even. I'm starved."

Pepper bit her lip and nodded to herself. This whole situation already felt more intimate than she had intended it to be. "Deal. I'll be there in a few."

She didn't wait for him to say goodbye before she hung up the phone and made her way through the mass of people standing outside and back into the building to grab her things.

As she dashed around her apartment she worked up a sweat. Last she checked it was over ninety degrees out with high humidity and she was extremely uncomfortable. It certainly didn't help that she was in the middle of an at-home body pump session in her living room when the fire alarm had sounded earlier.

She was a hot sticky mess and she was eager to get over to Tony's and either jump in the pool or take a cold shower.

Maybe both depending how thick Tony planned to lay on the innuendo later on.

She had gotten pretty good at giving it right back to him but that didn't mean that what he said every now and then didn't have an effect on her. There was so much imagery that she had a hard time _not_ getting worked up.

She just couldn't let _him_ know what effect it had on her.

She dialed in her order for Pad Thai for two as she gathered her phone charger, her makeup bag an the book she was currently reading. Quickly she grabbed her tote bag from work and along with the other items she shoved in a couple pairs of shorts, a couple of tank tops, a tee shirt, a bra, and her swim suit. That would be enough to get her through tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully by then her apartment would be back to normal and she could continue on with her vacation away from SI.

She scanned the apartment one last time before shutting and locking the door behind her, keys in hand and ramping up for a night over at Tony Starks place.

xXxXxXx

"Miss Potts is approaching with her arms full, sir."

"Thanks Jarvis," Tony said as he jumped up from the couch and hurried over to the front door. He opened it just in time to find Pepper standing there with her overnight bag as well as two paper bags full of what he assumed was their dinner.

He stood there for a moment and took in her appearance. Her strawberry blonde hair was up in a messy bun on top of her head, she was wearing tight black capris and hot pink running sneakers with a tight pink workout tank that hugged every curve of her chest and torso. She was visibly hot with flushed cheeks and a sheen of sweat glistening over her ivory skin. Tony watched as one small bead of sweat trickled down from her neck and disappeared in between her breasts.

"Delicious," he stated as he stared at her body.

She quirked a brow at him and shoved the food into his hands, unable to hide the smile from forming on her lips. "That's enough out of you already. Let me in, I'm dying."

Tony smiled at her feistiness and stepped aside, closing the door behind her, stealing a glance at her ass as she moved past him. "I was talking about the food, of course."

Pepper set her bag down on the floor by the stairs and moved into the kitchen, immediately grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She cracked the cap and took a long swig before re-capping it and rolling it over her chest and forehead. "Of course you were," she breathed, giving him a stern look. "God, of all the weekends for this to happen… this has got to be record heat, even for So-Cal."

"The highest recorded temperature for Malibu is ninety-seven degrees Fahrenheit, ma'am. Today's high reached ninety-one and we are currently holding at about eighty-eight degrees."

Pepper nodded and took another swig of her water. "Thanks Jarvis."

"You are welcome, Miss Potts."

"Well the obvious solution is to strip down to nothing so your skin can breathe," Tony said as he walked up to her, invading her personal bubble on purpose to put the food down on the counter beside her. "You start," he said, looking at her chest again.

Pepper tried to hide the smile that formed again and shoved him away from her, not missing that he was shirtless and in only a pair of jogging pants. "Looks like you're one step ahead of me, you might as well keep going."

Tony's eyes grew big and so did his smile. She was playful tonight. "If you say so," he said as he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants.

"No, no!" she laughed and she held a hand out. "Don't you dare…"

"Just ask and you shall receive, Miss Potts. Ask and you _shall_ receive."

Tony stopped his teasing and moved to grab a couple of forks from the drawer instead. He really was famished and couldn't wait to eat. When she wasn't around to remind him, he sometimes forgot to all together.

Sitting on the opposite side of the island he unpacked their food and laid it all out between them, waiting as she took her seat across from him.

"So," he said scooping some noodles onto his fork and stuffing them into his mouth. "Tell me what happened."

Pepper took a bite of a spring roll and covered her mouth as she chewed. "I honestly don't know the whole story yet. All I know is I was in the middle of my workout when the fire alarm went off. Nearly gave me a heart attack from how loud it was."

Tony continued to shovel chicken and noodles into his mouth as she took another bite then another sip of water.

"We all evacuated while the fire department pinpointed the problem and then they told us we were safe to go back in, but that it would be at least day or so before we had power and water again."

"Hmm," Tony hummed as he stole her water bottle and took a long draw from it. "Tell me more about this workout. Was there a lot of bouncing? Grunting?"

Pepper threw the butt of her spring roll at him and shook her head.

"Hey! No throwing food. That's how we get ants," he said as he caught the piece food and tossed it in his mouth.

"You're ridiculous," she said as she took the fork from his hand and scooped up some noodles for herself.

"I like this look on you," he said, leaning his forearms against the counter. "I may have to change the company dress code."

Pepper smiled but refused to meet his eyes. He was extra flirty tonight and she didn't know why, but she didn't really want him to stop. She had been here five minutes and she was already enjoying herself so much.

Nights like this with him were rare, but that was why they were her favorite. They were friends rather than boss and assistant. They didn't have to be careful about what they said to one another as there were no other office ears to listen in on their conversations. Many people would consider this type of banter to be harassment, but with them it was just innocent… or _not so_ innocent fun with one another. They both understood it and it was okay.

"So what's the plan," he asked. "Just hang out here in your room until the landlord calls or what?"

"The guest room," she corrected him.

"You're the only person who's used that room in years. It's your room."

"Only because all your house guests seem to spend more time in your bed than you do," she quipped.

Tony winced and feigned offense. "Ouch, Pep. That was the old me."

He wasn't wrong, she knew that. While he was still called a playboy by most, he hadn't been with a single woman for months; not since he returned from his ordeal in the Middle East. Something there had changed him. What- she was not sure, and she had always been afraid to ask. But, in a way, she was grateful for this new version of Tony; mostly because his attentions were all funneled on her now, and she would be lying if she said that didn't make her feel very good inside.

She set her fork down and mirrored his position leaning forward on her forearms and looked at him, smile intact. "And the new you?"

Tony looked back at her for a long moment, gaze shifting from one of her eyes to the other, then back. He had to choose his words carefully.

"I promise you'll be the first person to know once I figure that out."

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 **Until next time…**


	2. Saturday

**DISCLAIMER:**

 _I do not own, nor do I profit from, the Iron Man Trilogy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any of the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

 **Thank you so very much to those of you who took the time to review the first chapter. It means so much to me and truly inspires me to get back online and keep writing. You all are fuel for my muse and I appreciate it more than you know!**

 **Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors as I do not write with a beta.**

xXxXxXx

 **-SATURDAY-**

Tony hadn't slept well.

It wasn't that he hadn't been comfortable; his bed was perhaps one of his favorite places in the world. And it wasn't that he hadn't been tired either. He had been exhausted when he got home from the office the day before and was so close to calling it a night when his phone had rang down in his workshop. Adding to the fact that he hadn't gone to bed when he planned, he had stayed up later than he had originally intended as well.

Much later.

Then, when he had finally spilled himself into bed around two thirty in the morning, and got comfortable, he was unable to drift off.

What had kept him up into the wee morning hours - and then wide awake earlier than usual - was the knowledge that Pepper was in the room just across the hall, stretched out between the crisp white Egyptian Cotton sheets rather that up and bustling about, grabbing him coffee and running through her planner like normal.

The sheer image of her in his head of her asleep – and he was certain she was still asleep - had his imagination running rampant; and as a result he was unable to lay still and find sleep himself.

He was… _excited_.

Pepper had stayed over countless times in her tenure with SI, which was why he referred to her room as _her_ room rather than the guest suite. She was quite literally the only person who used it. The difference was, this was the first time she had stayed over as a friend and not as his employee.

And it distracted him to no end.

Usually when he found himself to be that restless he would just conjure up a nice image or scenario in his imagination that involved his knockout of a PA, reach down below his waistband and take care of himself. It was innocent enough – everybody did it – and he would exhaust himself enough to get a good night's sleep.

But knowing she was just across the hall, could potentially walk in on him at any moment… he couldn't bring himself to, well, _bring_ himself. So he lay in bed for several hours just thinking of her and what the next day would bring.

When he woke around six o'clock he couldn't fall back asleep. Sighing and accepting defeat, he got out of bed, threw on a pair of lounging pants and went down to the workshop to occupy his mind.

xXxXxXx

Pepper stretched languidly in her bed and inhaled deeply as she rolled from her side to her back. The sun was pouring in the wall of glass to her right and she smiled to herself. It had taken her a moment to remember where she was and why, but rather than the expected dread, instead she felt strangely calm. She was more relaxed than she had been in a very long time and she attributed that to the surprisingly pleasant night she'd had just sitting and talking with Tony over food.

When that alarm had sounded in her building yesterday she thought it would be an awful week off, working to find a new apartment or whatever could have potentially happened as her mind went to all sorts of worst case scenario places. Instead, she felt sort of excited to be spending it here instead. Off the clock.

With Tony.

Pepper took another deep breath and sat up, letting the sheet pool around her waist as she looked out the window and rolled her neck.

"Good morning Miss Potts," Jarvis greeted her. "It's ten A.M. and the temperature in Malibu is currently eighty degrees. Today will be full sun with a high of eighty nine degrees. Might I suggest a dip in the pool?"

Pepper chuckled at the AI, wondering if Tony told it to say that to her. "Thank you Jarvis. Is Tony up yet?"

"Mr. Stark has been up for three hours, twenty seven minutes."

Pepper furrowed her brow and looked over at the clock, doing the math in her head.

 _Tony has been up since six thirty?_

That was highly unusual for him, especially on a Saturday. "What is he up to?" she asked with only a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"He has been in the workshop all morning making final adjustments to his Mark Four suit, ma'am"

Satisfied with that answer for now, Pepper threw the sheet and duvet back and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She stood with another stretch, feeling her shirt rise up and expose her tummy for a brief moment until she put her arms back down.

Quietly she made her way out of the room and padded barefoot down the stairs into the large open living room kitchen area. She looked around, and noticed how incredibly quiet it was. Normally when Tony was working on something downstairs he had his music blaring, to the point where she had often had to take her calls out on the terrace to even hear the person on the other line.

Digressing, she made her way over to the kitchen and grabbed herself a water bottle. Pepper sat at the kitchen island where she and Tony had sat, laughing away last night and smiled again. She found herself doing that a lot already today, and rather than overthink things she decided to just enjoy it for the time being.

She reached over to the fruit bowl and grabbed an orange, peeling it and popping slices of the bright, citrusy fruit in her mouth one at a time as she idly stared out the window at the breathtaking ocean view.

"Well, well," Tony's voice came from over by the stairs. "Sleeping beauty is finally awake."

Pepper looked over and immediately blushed. Not because she had slept so late or was embarrassed, and not because he had caught her in her loose fitting pajama top and short shorts.

She blushed because he was standing there shirtless, wearing only a pair of black lounging pants and his glasses. His bare chest was exposed and where everyone else in the world would probably be staring at his arc reactor, glowing proud in the center of his chest, she could only see his pectoral muscles and his abs.

He looked delicious.

He had really stayed on top of keeping in shape ever since taking on the Iron Man persona, and for that the woman deep inside her was very grateful for the eye candy. This though, this was gourmet eye dessert.

Pepper cleared her throat and smiled, looking back to her orange mess on the counter. "I was actually shocked to learn you have been up for hours. How come you can't be like this on mornings where we have meetings or a flight to catch?" she teased.

Tony put his hands in his pockets and moved closer to where she was seated, not missing for a second that she wasn't wearing a bra under that thin excuse for a shirt.

"Sleeping in is only fun when you're there to wake me," he joked, stealing an orange slice before sitting across from her, mirroring their positions from the night before.

"You know its Saturday and even if I wasn't on vacation, I wouldn't normally be here."

"Details," he muttered as he waved her off. "Speaking of vacation… do you often take a vacation from your hair brush on the weekends or is this a treat all for me?" he teased.

Pepper blushed again and put a hand to her head, feeling the birds-nest like state of her hair and laughed at herself. "It's that bad, huh?

"I like it. It has that, uh, morning-after-rough-sex look about it. Which, I can admire…"

Pepper made a face of disgust but didn't drop the smile. "I was so sweaty last night I didn't want to soil the nice clean sheets so I took a shower right before bed. I fell asleep before my hair could dry I guess."

Tony found her to be incredibly adorable in this state, but he couldn't help but let his eyes roam over the rest of her as he sat across from her. The thin shirt was askew on her skin and he could see more of her exposed skin that she normally allowed. He could see her collar bone, and out of nowhere he had the urge to lick and suck on it.

He swallowed hard and let his eyes drop further to her breasts. Her nipples were poking at the thin material and calling to him, so much so that his hand twitched on the counter top.

He cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from her body back to her face, which was still blushing. She'd caught him staring, but she hadn't called him out on it.

Interesting. He could work with that.

"You know, in the interest of saving your sheets, you can sweat all you like in my bed. In fact, I encourage it."

"Oh my god," Pepper laughed as she stood up from her spot, scooping up the discarded orange peels and tossing them in the trash. "You never turn off, do you?"

Tony didn't miss the opportunity to stare at her ass as she sauntered by. She did that on purpose.

Minx.

"Not around you, Miss Potts."

That was risky, he knew, but it was the truth and he didn't care who knew it. Even her.

Peppers cheeks tinged a bright shade of pink as she smiled back at him, shaking her head. Her heart rate was wild and she could feel it hammering away in her chest. Why did he have to have this effect on her?

"I have to make some phone calls regarding my apartment," she quickly changed the subject, and thought she was slightly uncomfortable with the way he kept undressing her with his eyes… she also felt very empowered by it, and so she couldn't shake the smile if she tried. "I don't know how long I'll be _._ Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

Tony smiled back at her, knowing he'd pushed his limits and she was done with him… for now. He stood to be eye level with her again and licked his lips as he stared at hers. "That will be all, Miss Potts."

xXxXxXx

Pepper sat the long way on the couch, her back supported by some oversized pillows while her feet were up, legs crossed as she flipped the page to her book, biting her lip at the imagery it was creating.

Idly she heard the garage door to Tony's workshop open and close, and knew he must be back from whatever Iron Man mission he had gone on earlier that day. She hadn't seen him at all after she went upstairs to get herself ready for the day, and it wasn't until she finally asked Jarvis, hours later, that she found out he'd gone out in his new suit of armor.

So, since she found herself alone in the mansion, she had decided to catch up on her favorite primetime dramas, order take away for a late lunch/early dinner and continue on with the book she had bought last week.

She continued to read, crossing her ankles the opposite way to create the littlest bit of friction between her legs. Her face was hot, and her heart beating wildly with each and every word.

"Hey, Pep?" Tony called to her from the top of the stairs to his shop, finding it hard to breathe for the moment.

"Yeah?" she called back, somewhat breathlessly, to him from her spot on the couch. She had been wrapped up in her book and hadn't even registered that he was in the room already.

"I know you're off the clock, and I'm really sorry to bother you, but I need a little help," he coughed as he slowly moved to sit in the chair opposite her.

Pepper waited to finish the paragraph she had been reading, marking her page and closing her book before she looked up at him. As soon as she spotted the blood she jumped up from her half-lying position. "Oh my god! Tony…" she sympathized as she rushed to his side and dropped to her knees, pushing his hair out of his eyes and looking at him.

His head was bleeding from a gash near his right temple and he was squinting his eye shut to keep the blood from trickling in.

"What happened to you?"

Tony held his right ribs with his left hand as he sighed and tried to get comfortable without ruining any of his expensive furniture. "I think I may have scrambled my brain a bit."

Pepper inspected the rest of him over once before rushing to the powder room and back with a small first aid kit she kept around. "What did you do?" she asked him as she dropped to her knees again and pulled out a wipe and some rubbing alcohol to clean up the gash on his brow.

"I got nailed with a couple of my own weapons again," he sighed. "Took a nasty fall before the suit could reboot and my face mask popped off. I think I was out for about ten minutes before I came too again."

Pepper stood up to get a better angle as she tilted his head and worked carefully around the wound. "Oh Tony…"

Tony was a little dizzy from the thrash, but he became even dizzier when he realized just how close her chest was to his face. He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent and closed his eyes for a brief moment as he fought to keep his composure.

She had, sadly, changed out of her night clothes and into a drool-worthy pair of ripped denim shorts and a white button-up shirt. From his angle he could see right down the loose fitting shirt, which was falling away from her chest ad leaving her lace-clad scrap of a bra exposed to his hungry eyes.

She had to know he was staring.

"You're sweating profusely," she pointed out as she set the cloth and rubbing alcohol down. "Are you sure you don't want to have a doctor look at you? I could call one to come here…"

"No," he stated quickly, not hiding the disappointment when she moved and he could no longer ogle her boobs. "It's just so damn hot out and the suit wasn't ventilating properly. I just need to cool down."

Pepper gave him a short glare but knew right away she would never be able to reason with him. She'd lost that battle one too many times to keep trying.

Carefully she placed two steri-strips over the gash to keep it closed, then stood back and pulled him to his feet. "Turn around, let me look at you," she said, tugging the hem of his shirt up looking for additional wounds. "Ugh, your shirt is sweat soaked," she grimaced.

Tony grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it over his head, quickly discarding it on the floor as she continued to make him rotate.

She tried to hide her blush as she touched him, moving him in a circle so she could make sure there weren't any other open wounds that needed dressing. His skin was clammy with sweat, but soft and hard at the same time. Her mind immediately went to dirty places.

He winced once when her hand pressed a tender spot on his rib cage. His hiss brought her back to reality and she searched his eyes as he merely shook his head.

"Just bruised."

Pepper stood in front of him and crossed her arms. "Tony," she said softly. "I know you feel like you have this responsibility to rid the world of the weapons that you and your dad created…"

Tony sighed and prepared himself for the guilt trip she was about to deliver.

"But you are worrying me. I don't want to have to keep patching you up every time you come back from fighting your own personal war." Pepper did her best to keep her composure but really she was freaking our inside. She was never one to lose her cool though, and the last thing she wanted to do was fight with him when he was generous enough to let her live with him while her place was being fixed.

Tony stared back at her for a long moment. He wasn't sure what to say to make her feel better. For the time being, he couldn't stop fighting the good fight. Which meant he couldn't make her happy either. In a perfect world he could fight his fight and she would be there cheering him on every step of the way.

Naked, of course.

But he had accepted that for now, he wouldn't be able to promise her anything.

"I'm sorry Pep," he said as he reached out and cupped the back of her head, unable to keep himself from touching her. Slowly he pulled her to him and pressed his lips to her forehead, feeling her sigh in defeat when he pulled her into a hug. "I don't mean to make you worry."

Pepper sighed and allowed herself to melt into his embrace for a brief moment. She ignored the slickness of his damp skin, and the masculine smell that came with it, and instead concentrated on his hard body pressed against her. "I know," she whispered back to him.

Tony held her there for a little longer than he had intended, but when she didn't immediately pull away he wanted to savor the feel of her in his arms just a little while longer. Eventually, he had to pull back and create some distance between them. "Thank you for patching me up," he said with a lopsided smile.

"Of course," she smiled back at him, bending to gather the bandage wrappers and bloodied wipes.

"I'll get that," Tony scolded right away. "You're on vacation, go back to your book." Tony took the scraps out of her hands and nodded over to where she had discarded her book on the coffee table, his eyes catching a quick glimpse of the title.

Pepper followed his gaze and turned crimson red, dashing over to where she had left it to try and pick it up and hide it before he-

Too late.

"Well, well, well," he stated as he snatched up the book microseconds before she could get her hand on it. "What do we have here?" He looked over the cover which had an overly muscular man on the front holding a petite woman rather suggestively.

"It's just a book," she said as she tried to take it from him, but he turned his back to her and held the book just out of her reach. Pepper tried frantically to get the book out of his hand but to no avail.

She was amazed, really, how he went from being so tender and from sharing such a sincere moment, to his usual intrusive self in the blink of an eye.

"Tony, don't make me hurt you right after you got hurt…"

Tony chuckled and opened the book to where she had the page marked, reading a couple of lines. "Damn, Pep," he said looking up at her with a dirty smirk. "No wonder you need to shower before bed. Tell me," he said just as she snatched the book from his hand, still blushing madly but smiling none the less. "Are the showers you take at night cold ones? Or are they hot showers and you use the jets to-"

"TONY STARK, your mouth!"

"What would you like me to do with it?" He cocked his eyebrow at her and smiled bigger when she didn't respond right away, her eyes glazing over instead.

Her heart was thundering away in her chest as she sucked a deep breath in to compose herself. "I'm going to my room," she said, a little more breathless than she intended. He had her all kinds of worked up and she knew she needed to get the hell out of dodge before she did something to embarrass herself.

Thanks to that last comment she was already picturing him on his knees, face buried between her legs and it had her squirming just thinking about it.

His face fell. "No, don't go to bed, I just got home," he pouted. "It's," he turned to look at the clock, wincing when he realized what time it was already. "Alright it's late but still... I promise I won't make fun of your paperback porn."

Pepper whacked him with the book as she walked by him. "I hate you," she chucked.

Tony smiled to himself as he turned and watched her retreating form. "You _love_ me."

"Good night, Tony…" she called over her shoulder.

Twenty-four hours into her stay and already she wanted to pounce on him. Whether she felt more like scratching his eyes out or kissing him senseless was the real dilemma. The longer she stayed here the more she could feel her will power faltering.

The thing was, she was kind of okay with that

She just wasn't sure if he was.

xXxXxXx

Tony had no problem tiring himself out tonight.

After Pepper had gone up to bed and he was sure she wasn't going to come back down, he too retreated to his room for a shower.

The long hot kind, where he spent most of the time pretending she was in there with him.

He brought himself to sweet release a couple of times, impressing himself as he was pretty sure he had never recovered that quickly before.

Her name had been a whisper on his lips the first time, and close to a shout the second time.

He'd had half a mind to poke his head into her room to be sure she was sleeping and hadn't heard him, but decided better of it as he was certain his body wouldn't be able to handle a third round if he caught a glimpse of her naked, or close to it.

He dried himself off with a towel, careful not to put too much pressure on his sore ribs and slipped right into his bed. He turned his head to look out at the ocean view, watching the reflection of the moon glittering across the surface of the dark water, and drifted off wondering if she was doing exactly the same.

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 **Until next time…**


	3. Sunday

**DISCLAIMER:**

 _I do not own, nor do I profit from, the Iron Man Trilogy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any of the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

 **I'm posting this chapter as I am running out the door for a concert and I haven't read through it with the fine toothed comb like I usually do, so please excuse anything major until I get back and have a chance to give it another look. I hope you like this one!**

 **Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors as I do not write with a beta.**

xXxXxXx

 **-SUNDAY-**

Pepper had not slept nearly as well as she had the first night. Her conversation with Tony right before she went up to bed had definitely had an effect of her. His suggestive remarks, the way he leered at her when he was amused, god even the way he looked all manly and sweaty and sexy when he'd come to her with his head wound had her tossing and turning in her bed for most of the night.

She wanted him.

Badly.

But there was a line and she was too terrified to cross it.

The thing was, it wasn't so much the actual line that she was afraid of crossing. In fact, she fantasized about crossing said line many times, last night included. It was the aftermath she was afraid of.

She saw firsthand the way Tony burned through women over the years. Yes, he had stopped cold turkey after his abduction and she hadn't even seen him show so much as the tiniest interest in any other woman since he'd been back, but old habits die hard. What if they stopped this song and dance that they seemed to be playing for the last six months and actually _did_ something, and then he got bored of her? Things could get awkward and one of them might decide that it's too much to work together anymore.

It wasn't that he was her boss…

Okay well it was _sort_ of that he was her boss. She loved her job, very much so, and even though his antics got on her nerves from time to time, she enjoyed doing what she did. She was born for this sort of thing; organized, calm and level headed, head strong in what she believed in, and apparently the only person with enough patience to work directly with Tony every day of the year without wanting to kill him or quit.

She enjoyed the banter, the jokes, the challenges and obstacles. She had learned so much about this industry while working under Tony – having had practically done his job for him time and time again – and she only saw herself moving up… not out.

No. The real issue was that he was her _friend_ , and sexual relationships often make friendships messy, and vice-versa. She knew she could remain professional and continue to work for him if anything were to ever happen between them. She just wasn't so sure that he'd still want to be her friend if things went sour. She didn't want that to happen.

And so, they played the song and dance, over and over.

And Pepper took cold showers, over and over.

And lay awake at night, over and over.

Pepper sighed as she admitted defeat and threw the covers back. She definitely wouldn't be getting back to sleep now that she had her mind racing again.

Instead she got up, listening to Jarvis' morning report again as she made her way into her bathroom to freshen up. Unlike the previous morning, she didn't want to go downstairs with scary hair or bad breath. Today was supposed to be the hottest day of the week, and she definitely wanted to utilize the pool and poolside today.

She thought about the bikini she had packed for herself. She was fairly certain that in the last eight or so years of working for Tony, she had never been in a swim suit in front of him, and she already felt self-conscious about the amount of skin she would be exposing.

With any luck maybe he'd be going out today, whether with Rhodey for fun or as Iron Man.

She made her way back out of the bathroom and over to her tote take a look at it again, trying to decide if she was ready to be so bare in front of him when she realized that was the only thing she had left in her tote bag.

Pepper had only packed for one day and one night when she had gathered her things together on Friday night. At the time, she wasn't expecting to be here long.

She looked around her for her blackberry and decided she needed to call her landlord again to get a firm timeframe as to when she was welcome back home again. When she didn't see it lying around, she decided she must have left it downstairs and decided to go down for it.

Moving out of her room she couldn't help but notice that Tony's bedroom door was ajar. Curious, she quietly crept over and poked her head in, only to find his legs tangled within his sheets, his arms gripping at a large pillow while his head rested on another. He was sleeping peacefully and so she would let him be for now.

Backing away and pulling the door closed behind her, she padded her way down the hall and down the stairs to start her day.

xXxXxXx

Tony hummed as he pulled the mass of warmth in front of him closer to his body. It wasn't until he moved to spoon it that he realized it was in fact a large body pillow, and not Pepper as he had been dreaming.

With a sigh and a slight pout, he pushed the pillow away and rolled onto his back, stretching in the warm morning sun that was pouring in through the glass all beside the bed. He lay still for a long moment, trying to remember back on the blissful dream he had been having.

Pepper had been there with him, of course, and he could only remember feeling as if he was curled up behind her, holding her body to his and how _good_ it had felt. Morning cuddles weren't exactly something he was familiar with, so he couldn't even be sure that was he was feeling was accurate in the sense… but he found himself longing to give it a shot, as long as it was her lying there with him.

"Jarvis," he called out, his voice groggy with sleep. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly eleven, sir," the AI responded.

Tony sighed, content that he had slept much better than he had the night before.

"Is Potts awake?"

"Miss Potts is downstairs sir. She made a phone call and seems rather distressed. Her heart rate had increased and I sense some panic."

Tony sat up and shot out of bed, grabbing a pair of basketball shorts from his drawer on his way out. He stumbled to get his legs through the holes as he made it to the top of the stairs. Once he was decent he quickly made his way down to find Pepper sitting on the sofa, her blackberry in her hand and a slight scowl of her face.

"Pep, what's wrong?" Tony asked, somewhat breathless.

Pepper looked up and gave him a sad sort of smile. "I don't know what to do about my apartment," she sighed, sitting back and dropping her head on the back of the sofa.

Tony looked at her, confused, and made his way over to sit beside her. "Why, what's up?"

Pepper turned her head to look at him and smiled a bit as she took in his disheveled appearance. He was shirtless – again – but this time had on a pair of black basketball shorts. His hair was messy in that sexy, just woke up kind of way and she noticed he had on his thick-black rimmed glasses, probably not having time to let his eyes adjust before he had scrambled out of bed.

 _God_ , he was sexy.

She turned her head away and sucked in a deep breath. "I called my landlord this morning to find out when it was safe to come back and he informed me that they decided to have the building re-piped since they had the basement all torn apart already."

Relief flooded through him and a small smile formed on Tony's lips as he watched her speak.

"It's going to be a while before we have running water again."

Tony watched her mouth as she spoke, admiring the way she kept a smile even though she was clearly stressed out. His gaze traveled from her lips down to her neck. If only she'd let him taste her skin; he could see a million different spots he just wanted to lick and kiss and suck…

Then his eyes dropped her barely-clothed body. She was wearing those pajamas again – the ones you could practically see through – in fact he as certain he could see he shadows of her nipples through the teasing material and his hand twitched at wanted to just pull the damn thing right off of her.

"Anyway," she started, apparently oblivious to the way he had been undressing her with his eyes. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to keep imposing on you but I can't stay there and be without a shower or a properly functioning toilet-"

"You're staying here, that's final," he said to her, putting one arm on the back of the sofa, his fingers ghosting her hair.

Pepper smirked and quirked a perfectly manicured eyebrow at him. "Giving me orders, Mr. Stark?"

Tony smirked right back, purposefully letting his eyes drop to her chest and linger there before coming back to meet hers. "Do you want me to?"

Pepper watched him for a long moment, trying to discern how much meaning he put behind his little quips. He looked so… _young_ this morning and she didn't know if it was because he was just being so playful these last few days or if there was something else making him look different to her, but she found that she liked it very much.

She took a deep breath in and mirrored his stare, dragging her eyes down his body and back before uncrossing her legs and standing up in front of him, forcing his face to be eye level with her groin but making sure his eyes remained on hers. "Actually I like to be the one to give orders."

Tony made what could only be described as a whimper before Pepper spun on her hells and sauntered away from him.

"Come on," she called to him over her shoulder. "Put a t-shirt on, we're going for a drive."

xXxXxXx

Pepper and Tony laughed their behavior off in the car ride over to Peppers apartment. She couldn't help but feel so emboldened by the way he kept blatantly checking her out, and she decided she liked the attention… a lot.

They rode over in one of Tony's convertible cars, her hair blowing around in the wind as they pulled in to her parking garage and got out. They laughed as they walked casually toward the elevator, passing one of Peppers neighbors on the way.

"Hey Sophie," Pepper called, smile plastered to her face.

Sophie, as Pepper called her, watched as the pair walked by her. "I thought you were on vacation?" she asked with a pointed look toward Tony, obviously knowing exactly who he was, despite his casual attire. Tony gave the woman a charming smile but kept close to his PA.

Pepper smiled as she and Tony stepped into the elevator, pressing the button to her floor. She looked up at her neighbor standing outside the elevator with a knowing smile on her face. "I am!" she exclaimed as the elevator doors closed and broke the short contact she had with the friendly woman from across the hall.

Tony smiled to himself as he bounced on his toes, hands stuffed in the pockets of his basketball shorts. "You know," he said as the elevator made its way up. "In all the time we have worked together I have never been up to your apartment?"

Pepper turned and furrowed her brow. "Really?" She tried to think of an instance where he had been there but the more she thought on it, the quicker she realized he was right.

Tony feigned disappointment as he nodded at her. "You always keep be waiting at the curb when I'm here. Tsk tsk…"

The elevator stopped and dinged before the doors opened to her floor. They stepped out and made their way over to her door. "Well trust me," Pepper said as she pulled out her keys and stuck one in the door. "You're not missing anything."

The door to her apartment swung open and she stepped in, setting her bag down on a small table before moving around the room, tidying and grabbing things that didn't belong where they had been resting.

Tony stepped inside and looked around, taking in the tiny space that was Peppers and absorbing the way she had it decorated. It was cute, and very much Pepper-esque. It was definitely smaller than he had imagined, given what he SI paid her to be his assistant he knew first hand that she could afford a bigger place if she wanted it.

"I know its small," she said as she came back into the room. She must have known what he was thinking. "But I'm really only here to sleep and on weekends, so I don't need any more room than this."

"I like it," Tony said as he finished looking around and rested his eyes back on her. "It reminds me of you," he said sweetly.

Pepper stopped what she was doing and stood up straight, smiling at him for a moment before moving her way toward her bedroom. "I'll just be a minute. I'm gonna grab some clothes for the rest of the week and then we ca get out of here and grab breakfast."

She disappeared into her bedroom and grabbed her small suitcase, tossing it on the bed and opening it to toss some items inside. She worked her way through her closet in a flash, apparently knowing exactly what she wanted to wear for the week. Then she made her way over to her dresser and opened a few drawers, very carefully picking panties and bras that matched before turning to toss them into the suitcase.

She nearly yelped when she tuned and found Tony standing right there next to her bed, catching the undergarments before they could land safely where she had intended.

"Tony!" she scolded when he held one pair of lacy blue panties up and waggled his eyebrows at her. She snatched them from his hands and stuffed them under the other clothes she had placed in the suitcase already, cheeks burning in embarrassment that he'd caught her packing her sexy underwear.

Then again, she was more grateful that she hadn't tossed a pair of her more… comfortable and ugly pairs for him to catch. She supposed if he was going to be there that it was better he got an eyeful of her pretty unmentionables.

"What are you doing in here?" she laughed nervously.

Tony made his way around to the other side of the bed and plopped himself down, arms spread wide as he closed his eyes and smiled. "Alright," he said. "You have be all alone, away from any artificial intelligence and no one knows where I am. You may have your way with me."

Pepper snorted and hit him in the face with one of her bras. "Get out of my bed, Tony…"

Tony opened his eyes and smirked, fingering the lacy material as he sat up and put it on his head as if it were a hat. "Only if you show me where the rest of your naughty books are. I'm in need of some new reading material." He got up and began to open and close drawers. Peppers face began to burn as he made his way around to her side of the bed and reached for the bedside table drawer. Quickly she moved in front of him, batting his hand away before he could open the drawer all the way and she slammed it back shut.

"No!" she yelled, followed by a nervous giggle. "Not In there."

Tony stood before her, very much in her personal bubble of space and smiled brighter. "Uh oh, hiding something a little more physical than the books, Pep?"

Pepper shook her head.

Tony shook his back. "You're a terrible liar, Pepper Potts. Now let me see what you've got in there…

Pepper grabbed his wrists and forced him backwards towards the bedroom door, kicking him out so that she could focus on packing a few more things. "Tony Stark you touch my bedside table one more time and I will personally cut your hands off.

Tony stopped in the doorway and watched as she slammed the door in his face.

"That's hot." She heard him call out to her through the door and she couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head to herself and went back to packing her things.

xXxXxXx

Pepper and Tony had stopped for breakfast on their way back to his house, and thankfully he didn't bring up the bedside drawer again, although she could tell that he would think about it every now and then. She just shook her head at him and finished her French toast while his eyes glazed over.

They had been back at his place for a while now, and like she had promised herself, she was laying out by the pool to get some sun. It was so hot, and she had already dipped herself into the cool water twice before laying back out on the lounge chair.

She hadn't seen Tony since they got back. He had gone right down to his workshop to tinker and she let him be. Her cheeks had hurt from all the smiling she had been doing anyway and needed a rest.

She sat up in her chair and grabbed her water bottle, tipping it back and finishing what was left. She thought about flipping over so her back could get some sun just as she heard the sliding glass doors open above her. Her heart rate quickened a bit.

Down the stairs came Tony, a drink in each hand and wearing his swim trunks she had bought him a few years back. She was happy to see them, this was the first time she had since she wrapped them.

"God, it's hot out here," Tony said as he approached her and handed her a drink. "Could you imagine being stuck at your place right now with no cold water or air conditioning? It's a good thing you have such a great boss."

Pepper quirked a brow at him and took a sip of her drink, noting immediately that it was cool and refreshing and definitely hit the spot. It was also very strong. "Yeah, good thing," she repeated, playing along.

Tony was immediately distracted when he sat in the chair opposite of where she had been laying. He looked at her, his mouth watering when he allowed his gaze to drop to the exposed parts of e body that he didn't normally get the privilege of seeing. The crevice between her breasts, her taught belly…

"Virginia Pepper Potts," he exclaimed as he pressed the arm of his sunglasses so that they would lift up and off his eyes for a moment. "Is that a belly button ring?"

Pepper too another sip of her lemon vodka soda and looked down at herself. "This? I've had this longer than I've known you, Tony," she smirked, setting her drink down.

Tony let his sunglasses fall back into place. "Yow."

Pepper moved to stand up and Tony was mesmerized. His eyes dragged from the pink of her toenail polish all the way u her long slender legs.

Naturally, he couldn't stop his imagination from picturing those legs wrapped around him.

His eyes continued upwards, taking in the incredibly tiny bikini bottoms she had on. They didn't leave very much to the imagination, and they were his favorite color… teal. Her tummy was flat and already tanned from the time spent out here this morning; her belly button ring sparkled in the sun and he wanted so badly to grab her by the hips and feel it between his teeth.

Her breasts bounced as she sauntered by him to the edge of the pool, the thin straps doing their best to keep her top up. Again, not much was left to the imagination, but just enough that it left him wanting more.

As always.

Pepper smirked to herself as she moved by him. He may have been wearing sunglasses but he was not subtle. "You know, if all you were going to do is come out here and ogle me, you should have come out sooner. I can't lay in the sun anymore- too hot."

Her words snapped Tony out of his very vivid daydreams and brought him back to earth. He watched, as Pepper went and stood near the pool, dipping her toe in to test the temperature, and an awful, horrible idea popped in his head.

Without saying a word he set his drink down and moved from his seat, sneaking up behind her as she tied her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head.

Quickly, he scooped her so that he had one arm across her back and one under her knees, causing her to yelp.

"Tony! What on earth are you-"

"It's never nice to tease, Pep," he said as he brought her over to the deep end of the pool, noting how hot her skin was against his.

"Don't You. Dare. Anthony Edward Stark I swear to goAHH!"

In one swift motion Tony tossed her into the pool, watching with amusement as she disappeared under the water for a moment before coming back up, gasping for air.

"I… cannot believe… you just DID THAT!" she scolded, wading her way over to the edge of the pool.

Tony laughed out loud, proud of his handiwork. "What? You're hot, you were about to jump in anyway. I was doing you a favor."

Pepper smoothed her lose hair back away from where it now clung to her face. She pulled herself along the edge to where it was shallow enough so she could stand. "Really. Hm. I _was_ hot or I _am_ hot?" she asked him with a poised look.

Tony mirrored her travel alongside the pool, unable to stop from watching the tops of her breasts breaking the surface of the water. God, she was so sexy and she had no idea. So adorably clueless.

He shrugged his shoulders before bending down and extending his arm to her to help her back out. "Do you really need me to answer that?"

Pepper licked her lips and reached up to take his offered arm. For a genius, he was pretty stupid.

She braced her free arm against the edge of the pool and tugged hard. Tony entered the water with a large splash as she squealed.

When he came back up Pepper was laughing and trying to get herself to the stairs to escape his wrath. Lucky for him, the water slowed her down and he was able to grab her wrist and pull her back to him.

She squealed and laughed again as he pulled her flush to him. Her legs tangled with his under the water as they came face to face, and chest to chest in the center of the swimming pool.

Her eyes dropped to his arc reactor, watching it as it glowed in the water. Carefully, she reached a hand out and touched it with her fingertips.

Tony's eyes were on her lips, and he felt an overwhelming urge to just lean forward and feel hers against his own. It would be so easy, to just lean forward a few millimeters and taste her, but he was afraid. Afraid she would get upset, afraid she would reject him, and she was the one rejection he knew he wouldn't not survive.

He licked his lips and swallowed hard, gently pushing back and putting enough distance between them that he couldn't touch her anymore.

Pepper didn't hide the disappointment she felt when he nudged her away. She watched as a million emotions played out over his features and in his eyes. She wondered, as she watched him back his way to the steps what was going through his head at that moment. She wondered, if there was a possibility that he felt the way she was feeling about him now.

Was there something there? Beyond the flirting and the playful banter they'd shared for years, was there something more that hadn't been there before?

"I have to go," he said softly as he grabbed his towel and rubbed it over his head, then draping it over his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'll see you a little later…"

Pepper nodded numbly as she watched him retreat quickly up the stairs and into the house.

What on earth had just happened?

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	4. Monday

**DISCLAIMER:**

 _I do not own, nor do I profit from, the Iron Man Trilogy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any of the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

 **This one goes out to my loyal readers who follow this story and review each chapter. I can't thank you enough for your support. I hope you like this one as much and the previous chapters! And don't worry, we still have quite a ways to go yet**

 **Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors as I do not write with a beta.**

xXxXxXx

 **-MONDAY-**

Pepper awoke from the sting of her shoulders against the sheets. She tossed and turned on what felt like pins and needles and attempted to fall back asleep but couldn't find any comfort.

Adding to said discomfort was this unrelenting feeling of disappointment and it simply wouldn't allow her mind any rest. She had not seen Tony for the remainder of the night like he had promised when he'd abruptly left her in the pool the day before.

He'd gone out in his Iron Man suit and hadn't returned by midnight when she retreated up to bed. So, for dinner she helped herself to some fruit that had been left in the refrigerator, watched a movie by herself and went up to bed.

On top of her confusion and distress, all of the sunscreen she'd used when laying out in the sun had apparently washed off when Tony tossed her in the pool, and she had gotten a considerable sun burn which was now the main culprit in keeping her awake.

Pepper rolled onto her back with a huff, then winced immediately. She cursed at herself under her breath as she forced herself into a sitting position on the bed. The skin on her belly felt like it was crunching under the movement and her shoulders felt tight. Looking at the clock she realized it was still early.

Tony would be flying out to New York for that board meeting later today.

She felt a pout form on her lips as she stared out the window. She didn't want Tony to leave, and was now wishing she had fought a little harder for the board to move their meeting to another date so that he could stay in Malibu to keep her company the next couple of days.

That was assuming he wouldn't randomly up and leave her like he had yesterday.

Her pout deepened.

She still hadn't figured out what had caused him to leave so abruptly the way he had. She thought they had been having fun, playing like teenagers in the water until he suddenly left her there alone without so much as a fake excuse as to why he had to leave. Only that he had to leave.

She thought back to that night when they had danced, and about how he had left her there on that balcony all by herself. It was obvious to both of them that she had wanted to kiss him. She had felt very much then like she does now; rejected, alone, unwanted. It was after that night when her walls had gone back up. Not necessarily to the extent they had been before his disappearance, but enough that she wasn't pursuing him in the least bit.

She let her guard back down these last few days, hoping that maybe he would make some sort of move, and in a way he had. In other ways he was still shutting her out.

She didn't have the slightest clue what she was supposed to do about any of it.

Sighing in defeat she got herself up out of bed, her face twisted in pain as her skin screamed at her for hydration and relief, and made her way into her bathroom.

She let out a dry laugh when she looked at herself in the mirror and saw the lovely shade of tomato she had turned as a result of her sun-day. Resolving to find some sort of relief she began to look through all the drawers and cabinets, thrilled when she found a large bottle of aloe lotion hidden in the back behind the extra mouthwash and toilet paper.

Carefully she peeled her t-shirt off, noting the way it left crease marks on her over-sensitive flesh, and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked ridiculous, two perfect white triangles signaling like headlights right where her boobs had been shielded, while the rest of her blared a nausea-inducing shade of pink. Even her signature freckles had disappeared in the redness.

She turned and looked over her shoulder at her back, hissing through her teeth when she realized the thin strap of her bikini top hadn't even left a mark it was so thin. She didn't even have that tiny sliver of comfort on her back.

She was going to need help getting the aloe on her back, that, she was sure of. She bent back down and picked up her discarded shirt, pressing is against her front and using her upper arms to hold it in place as she grabbed the bottle of lotion and padded her way out of her room and across the hall.

Pepper bit her lip and rapped her knuckles against Tony's bedroom door lightly. Probably too lightly, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for doing that on purpose. "Tony?" she called out softly. "Are you awake?"

She waited a full ten seconds for a response but got none, so she carefully pushed the door open and poked her head in. She let her eyes adjust to the dimmed light, and the sight before her made her tingle and her mouth water all at the same time.

Before her lay Tony Stark – her boss of nearly nine years – sprawled on his back in his bed with only a thin sheet covering him. And really, it was leaving nothing to the imagination as it was _barely_ covering his lower half. It was low enough that Pepper could see his hip bones, the fine trail of dark hair that began just below is navel and worked its way down under the sheet, and the swell of his butt just before the rest of him disappeared under the soft fabric.

She felt a heat wave wash over her body – and not from the sunburn.

Her eyes traveled upwards away from his shielded man-parts, taking in his tight abdomen and appreciating his man curves. He had definitely been keeping himself healthy since his return. His pectoral muscles protruded slightly, and she found herself mesmerized by the soft way his chest rose and fell with his breaths.

His right arm was tossed on the pillow above his head while the left was splayed out on the empty mattress beside him. His head was turned away from her, his features relaxed in his sleep as the sliver of light from the draped window made his skin glow along with his arc reactor.

He was magnificent.

She felt a strong urge to slip into bed next to him and lay her head in the crook of his shoulder. She felt her own breathing becoming more labored as she thought about it; about what it would feel like to place a soft kiss against his neck as she wrapped her leg over the top of him, feeling his-

"You know," Tony's sleep-laced voice boomed and Pepper jumped, gasping lightly and immediately cursing herself for making noise.

She looked at him with wide eyes. He hadn't moved a muscle. Was she hearing things or was he-

"If you wanted to ogle me in my sleep you could have just joined me." Tony stretched both arms above his head before placing his hands behind his head and turning to smile sleepily at her. "Then again, if you _ha_ d joined me the last thing I would have been thinking about is sleeping."

She couldn't get her brain to function at a high enough level to respond to his overly suggestive comment, though it did make her blush. His eyes grew wide as he realized what she was wearing…

…or not wearing, as it were.

"Pepper, what are you-"

"Before you get any wrong ideas," Pepper said as she made sure the shirt was still securely pinned to her front, hiding her chest from him. She wasn't sure if her face was cherry red or white as a ghost. Either way, she had been caught and she was absolutely mortified.

"Are you naked?" he asked, ignoring her as he sat up, pulling the sheet which had been barely covering his stiffening manhood and bunching it up so that she would, _hopefully_ , not notice the effect her presence and current state of undress was having on him.

"Not naked. Well not completely… I need your help," she admitted, her eyes betraying the bashfulness that her cheeks couldn't convey because they were already so red from the sun. She held the bottle of aloe lotion out in front of her.

Tony blinked a few times as he registered what she asking of him and swung his legs over the side of his bed, careful to keep the sheet wrapped around his lower half. He cleared his throat and motioned for her to come closer and she did, tentatively at first before she too swallowed hard and handed him the bottle.

He rotated his wrist as indication for her to turn around and she complied. He had to refrain from gasping out oud when he saw her exposed back and just how red it was from the sun. "Jesus, Pep…" It was a miracle she had slept through the night like that.

Tony allowed his eyes to roam the expanse of her bare back for a moment, appreciating the lines and curves of her shoulder blades and the dip along her spine. She was long, and smooth, and his fingers itched to touch her for reasons other than this lotion in his hand.

"Tony?" she asked over her shoulder when he kept her waiting longer than necessary.

"Sorry," he murmured as he carefully reached out for her hips and pulled her backwards to be closer to him. "I don't want to hurt you, Pep. Where do you want me to start?"

 _You could start by pinning me to that mattress and having your way with me…_

Pepper looked down and saw that he had pulled her in close. So close that his legs and feet were positioned right outside her own. She closed her eyes and willed away all the naughty images that were flooding her mind.

"It doesn't matter. I hurt all over. Just…" she looked at him over her shoulder again. "Please…"

Tony took a dee breath to calm himself and gently pulled her down to sit on the sliver of mattress that was left between his legs, pleased and surprised when she didn't argue or resist. Her ass was tucked in the space before his groin, and she instinctively leaned forward to give him a better vantage point.

 _God, the things he could do to her…_

He carefully squeezed a healthy line of lotion across her shoulders, gritting his teeth at the way she gasped from the cool substance against her skin. Did she have to make those noises when he was about to be running his hands all over her bare skin?

Carefully he began to smooth out the aloe across the angriest looking parts of her skin, noting the way she was extremely tense under his hands. He did his best not to rub too hard, and he knew that at least part of her stiffness was because it did hurt her to sit there.

"Sorry my hands are rough," he said. "I'm not the best person to be doing this."

"No," she whimpered. "Your hands are fine."

Her eyes fluttered shut as she let his hands massage her, his fingers coming dangerously close to the sides of her breasts as he worked the aloe in over her rib cage and oblique's. She was tempted to lift her arms, drop the shirt, and let him grab hold of her when he shifted his hands back up to her shoulders.

Tony carefully moved her hair aside to expose the back of her neck as he began to message her, all the while rubbing the lotion in evenly and making sure he didn't miss an inch of her. She let out a little moan and Tony felt his cock twitch beneath the sheet that was separating them. He wanted nothing more than to lift her up and impale her down on himself, feel her squeezing all around him and milking him with her warm wet center.

Sitting here was becoming torture, especially because he knew he would have to be away from her for the next two days, _at least_.

His hands moved back down to her lower back and he gave her hips a light squeeze, committing to memory what it felt like so he could use it later on when he was alone in his shower again.

Pepper shifted her hips slightly and she could feel the sheet bunched around him pushing at her backside. He was so close to her and yet too far away. She seriously contemplated turning around and straddling him, letting him rub the lotion over her front as well even though she was completely capable of doing so herself.

Tony moved his hands back up, rubbing small circles along her spine with the pads of his thumbs, noting how much less tense she was now. He wondered if he was just good at this sort of thing or if maybe she was just that relaxed around him now. He really hoped it was both.

He finished by rubbing her upper arms and clearing his throat again. "You're all set, Potts. Good as a ripe vine tomato."

Pepper couldn't help but laugh as she remained in place, certain that he couldn't see the front of her and pulled her shirt back on.

He did catch a glimpse of some side boob, but he would keep that to himself. Also for the shower.

Pepper stood, on what appeared to be wobbly legs and turned to face him again. The tension in the room was thick, both of them felt it. Peppers smile faded slightly as she looked at him, sitting on the edge of his bed, the sheet wadded up around his waist as he sat there, staring at her body.

"Thank you, Tony," she said, feeling breathless as she absorbed him and his appearance in. He was positively edible looking; hair mussed, chest naked and glowing; his bare legs and feet hanging out from under the sheet…

"You're welcome," he said, his intense stare not faltering.

She felt her heart begin to flutter. The way he was looking at her was unnerving her.

"I don't know what I'll do without you while you're gone these next few days," she smiled coyly. "Terrible timing on my part. The sunburn, I mean."

Tony wanted to smile back at her playfulness but he was too damn turned on to think straight. Instead he stood up, holding his sheet in place as he stepped up to her once again, licking his lips and not letting go of her gaze.

"Come with me to New York. You can shop and go out and do lots of fun stuff while I take that meeting."

Her smile was gone from her lips but he could see it still in her eyes.

"That would be inappropriate," she said as she took one step back.

He stepped forward and looked straight into her. "I don't care. Come with me."

Peppers heart was hammering in her chest now. What was the use of pushing back when really all she wanted to do was say yes? So she did.

"Okay."

xXxXxXx

Pepper watched, almost numbly, as Tony disembarked his private jet and stepped down onto the tarmac. He immediately turned and held out a hand for her, helping her as she descended the steps and joined him on the ground. She had agreed to fly with him to New York and spend the two or more days with him while he was there for the board meeting.

Not that it had taken any convincing at all.

She pretended it was because she had nothing better to do, with her apartment being in the renovation process and all, and also because she didn't have anyone else who could help her put aloe on her back and the last thing she wanted to do was peel from having neglected her skin.

She knew the real reason was because she just wanted to be near him, around him, with him.

They walked in comfortable silence to the car that was waiting for them. She was relieved that Happy had stayed back in Malibu. That would have forced explanations that right now she just didn't have. This was better, because this man was hired for these few days and that was it. He didn't know who she was and if she steered clear of any work related function she wouldn't have to explain her presence.

Not that it would have been difficult. She is his PA after all, and most people didn't know she was technically on vacation. She supposed if she saw anyone out she would just pretend like she wasn't, and no one would bat an eye.

Over the course of the plane ride she and Tony has fallen back into their usual comfortableness with each other. The only moment she got snippy with him was when he had taken forever in the shower and she knew the plane was waiting for them.

After that they had just resumed normal comfortable conversation and there was no further mention of the morning favor he had paid her.

She had been, however, the brunt of many of his quips for the day, being she was so red. If she was compared to a tomato, lobster, or a fire engine one more time she was going to hurl her shoe at his head. Lucky for him, he seemed to know his limits, though, and he had stopped himself.

It wasn't until they arrived at the hotel that Pepper stopped and thought about what they were doing. Tony never brought her to his one-off board meetings, so she usually let him go to New York or wherever on his own. She booked him a suite with a single bed.

She dropped her bags to the floor in dramatic fashion as they stepped inside and saw the large king bed looming before them. She quickly pulled her blackberry out of her purse and began tapping away. "We have to change this…"

Tony reached a hand out and gently covered her blackberry, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Don't you think the people in accounting will find it strange that I would suddenly change my reservation from a one bed to a two? And that _you_ were the one to make the change? …while on vacation?"

Pepper stared at him for a long moment, knowing full well he was right but trying to think of a solution regardless. She couldn't just invite herself into his bed… but she also knew that sleeping on the couch in the suite would not help her tender flesh to feel any better.

Tony pulled his hand away and smiled at her. "Come on, Pep. How long have we known each other? I think we can be adults and share a bed for one night. Unless you're that uncomfortable with it, then I'll take the couch."

Pepper was touched by his comment and his offer, but knew she would not force him to take the couch. He was the one who had to work in the morning not her…

She chewed her lip for a moment, staring at the bed as Tony made his way over to the mini bar and poured himself a drink.

"No, you're right. We're both adults here. We can share the bed," she nodded, as if needing to reassure herself of that fact.

Tony offered her a sip of his drink which she accepted, making a face immediately upon tasting the dark brown liquid and handing it back to him. He smiled warmly at her for a second then reverted right back to his usual comic self.

"Alright good. We have an agreement," he said as he turned and jumped on the bed, laying in a position that made her giggle as he put himself on display. "But if you take advantage of me, Miss Potts,' we may have to reconsider your contract with SI. Stay strong. I know you can do it."

Pepper lifted her leg, slipped off her shoe and hurled it at him, all the while smiling.

"Hey hey!" he scolded as he ducked out of the way, watching as it landed on the pillow at the right side of the bed. "Ah, that's your side. You get the stinky shoe pillow."

"My feet do not stink," Pepper laughed and put her hands on her hips. "What do you want for dinner? I'm starved."

Tony popped out of the bed and looked out the window at the city lights. With the time zone change they lost a few hours so it was later here. It was already getting dark and he knew he would have to force himself to fall asleep early if he was going to make it to his meeting on time.

That being said, he certainly wasn't going to decline any chance to spend time with Pepper if she was willing.

"We could order room service or walk a few blocks and see what looks good?"

Pepper nodded her head at him and moved to grab her jean jacket. "That sounds fun, let's do that."

Tony nodded and downed the last of his drink like a shot, walking over to where Pepper was checking herself in the mirror.

She was casual, more casual than he was used to seeing her. There was a lot of that this week, he supposed. First the work out gear, then her sleepwear, her excuse for a bikini and now this; simple black yoga leggings, a white tee and jean jacket. Her hair was down in beach waves and she had just the slightest amount of eye makeup on. Despite all the other states of her dress that included much less clothing, he found this to be his favorite.

 _This is Pepper_ , he thought. When she was out running errands or just sitting at home on a Saturday, this is what she looked like, and he found that he wanted to see her like this all the time.

If she would let him.

xXxXxXx

Pepper sighed as she tossed her hot dog wrapper into a nearby trach can. "That was amazing," she smiled. "Just what I needed," she added as she rubbed he belly in satisfaction.

Tony laughed as he popped the last bite of his Italian sausage into his mouth and crumpled up the wrapper, tossing it over her head and into the trash can with perfect accuracy. "You're something, you know that?" he asked her as he chewed the last of his food. "All the restaurants in the area and you want a hot dog from a street vendor."

Pepper smiled and stuffed her hands into her pockets, walking slowly beside him down the street. "What? It's all part of the experience."

Tony swallowed and smiled back at her, walking leisurely beside her as he let her set the pace. He had to admit, it wasn't what he had expected when he suggested they walk and find a place, but he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had not allowed himself to be this laid back in a long time, and he had to admit this was a perfect way to cap off the long day of traveling they'd had.

It was a relatively warm night, but not like the heat they'd been experiencing back home. They walked comfortably along the street, illuminated by the glow of all the New York City lights. They didn't say much, just took turns pointing things out to one another until they made their way back to the hotel room.

Pepper carefully pulled the jean jacket off and draped it over a chair as she made her way toward the bathroom with her beg.. Tony watched as she disappeared inside the other room and moved to remove his money clip from his pocket and his watch from his wrist.

He unzipped his jeans and kicked them off, leaving them in a pile next to his shoes.

Pepper emerged from the bathroom in her shorts and the same white tee shirt she'd been wearing, sans bra, just in time to watch Tony strip himself of his tee shirt. She watched from behind as the muscles in his back flexed with the movement. She wondered briefly if he had always been this manly and she never noticed or if this was something new that had come with him when he was returned to them from the Middle East.

Either way, she was appreciating all the yummy views she has been getting recently.

She cleared her throat to get his attention, blushing a little when he turned toward her and smiled his thousand-watt smile. Clearly he approved of her pajamas.

"Is that all you're wearing to bed?" she asked, glancing down at his boxers and back to his face.

Tony quirked a brow as he made his way over to the opposite side of the bed and pulled the duvet back. "Would you prefer I wear what I wore last night?"

The image of him lying with that thin sheet over him flashed through her mind and she felt her face get hot. She cursed herself for walking into that one.

"I suppose this will do. I'd ask you to put a shirt on but it's not your man-boobs I'm worried about here…"

Tony chuckled and slipped into bed at the same time she did. He watched, amused, as she grabbed the extra pillows and created a wall between them. After a few minutes she was satisfied that he wouldn't accidentally roll over and grab her boob in his sleep and she settles into her pillow.

"You good?" he asked her.

"Yes, thank you," she chuckled.

Tony smiled at her cuteness and reached to turn the light off, casting the room in only the glow from the outside lights. He sighed in contentment.

"Goodnight, Pep."

"Goodnight, Tony."

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	5. Tuesday

**DISCLAIMER:**

 _I do not own, nor do I profit from, the Iron Man Trilogy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe or any of the characters therein. They are simply used in the following story for my own entertainment. No copyright infringement intended._

I am very sorry I made you wait so long. I hope you enjoy this update!

 **Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors as I do not write with a beta.**

 **xXx**

 **-TUESDAY-**

Tony was unsure if he could call his night restful, but he _did_ know it was the best he had slept in an incredibly long time; since before his kidnapping, perhaps. It wasn't the hotel bed- nothing could beat his own bed back home. And it wasn't that he was overtired and in dire need of a good night's sleep.

It was that somewhere in the middle of the night he had found himself spooned up behind Pepper, the pillow fortress she'd built around her clearly no match for a sleeping Tony, and his nose had been nuzzled in her soft hair at the back of her head and neck as he immersed himself in her scent and just felt her rhythmic breathing.

It was probably two or three in the morning when he'd stirred in his sleep and realized it, and for a long several moments he lay there contemplating how he could extract himself from their position without waking her. But, when he'd finally made his move and tried, albeit reluctantly, to pull his arm away from her waist, she'd protested in her sleep and gripped him tighter, shimmying herself backwards and pressing her ass against his groin.

He couldn't even try to pretend that he was disappointed, and he was certain that when she woke in the morning and found them in the compromising position that she would blame him and possibly smack him around for invading her personal space, but he couldn't find the time to care.

Instead Tony nuzzled into her hair and inhaled her unique scent again as he allowed himself to bask in the comfort of her and fall back into a deep sleep.

 **xXx**

Pepper cracked an eye open to peer at the clock on the bedside table; it was just after seven. She knew Tony was due at the tower by eight to start his day of meetings, and she pouted to herself immediately. She didn't want to spend another day away from him. She had seen him surprisingly little for having been staying with him in his home for four days.

She had no real interest in New York. She agreed to come here because she just wanted to spend more time with him. It was really the first time they'd been able to spend recreational time together in years, and even though he had to work, being with him in the morning and evenings was better than being home alone for a few days.

Plus he asked her all breathless and sexy. No one could have said no to that.

She took a deep breath in and immediately absorbed the familiar scent of Tony's aftershave and cologne mixture into her sinuses. It warmed her from her head to her toes and she felt a tingle wash over her at the comforting familiarity. She squeezed her thighs together as a small smile formed on her lips as she opened her eyes fully and let her pupils adjust.

The room was still dark; the drapes were closed to shut out the morning light and he had done a god job of keeping all the lights off, save for one.

Her back was to him but she could hear him in the adjoining bathroom going through his things; probably applying his hair gel and looking for his toothbrush.

It felt so very domestic to her; lying in bed and listening to him go through his morning routine. This was a side of him she rarely got to see. Normally she would be down in his kitchen preparing his coffee or already at the office waiting for his arrival, certainly not watching him as he moved around in the morning hours preparing himself for the day.

Pepper turned over in the bed and blinked away the remnants of sleep as she looked at him through the door which he had left ajar.

Once again she was treated to an eyeful.

A heavy grey towel hung low around his waist as he stood at the sink, leaning close to the mirror sculpting out sharp edges to his neatly trimmed goatee.

His hair was still damp but already brushed ad coiffed, his skin dry but well-hydrated by the steamy shower he had recently taken. Shadows outlined the musculature of his arms and chest and abdomen.

She imagined what it would feel like to come up behind him and slip her arms around his waist; feel his bare skin under her arms and hands…. and lips. Her fingers itched to grab hold of his towel and help it drop to the floor.

Pepper blinked herself back to reality when Tony finished up and moved to come into the bedroom. His eyes immediately landed on hers, a smile forming when he realized she was awake and watching him.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," he said softly. "I was trying to be quiet."

Pepper smiled back at him and stretched her arms above her head. "You didn't," she said to him mid-stretch, relaxing comfortably with one arm behind her head as he watched her.

Her skin had calmed down considerably over the last two days. The painful redness was gone and left behind was a golden tan and significantly more freckles than she had started with.

"What?" she asked as he stared.

Tony was trying to figure out a way, in his mind, where he could take inventory of each and every freckle on her body without facing a sexual harassment lawsuit. He decided he had a new mission in life.

"You are incredibly sexy in the morning, Potts. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Her cheeks immediately burned red while the butterflies in her stomach did backflips. She tried to hide the smile but was unsuccessful, so she grabbed one of the pillows she was not currently using and hurled it at him. "Oh, please…"

Tony smiled as he blocked the pillow and moved over to where his garment bag containing his suits was draped over an arm chair. "Just my opinion, and I am entitled to my own opinion, Pep." he said and hoped to god she didn't get pissed at his confession. His couldn't help himself, he just wanted to see her like this every morning.

Preferably in _his_ bed.

With no clothes on.

Remembering he was in only a towel he quickly needed to de-rail his wandering mind or else she would be getting an eyeful of him soon. He cleared his throat as he stepped over to where his carry-on was and began to fumble through it, taking his time to quell the stiffy he was getting beneath his towel.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" he asked with a gentle smile over his shoulder.

Pepper wiggled her toes from her spot on the bed. "Shopping, I think. I have the itch to find and buy myself a new dress."

It was like she was _trying_ to torture him. "Oh? And what is the occasion?" he asked as he turned toward her again, dress socks and boxer briefs in his hands.

Pepper shrugged and suppressed a smile. "I feel like going out. A new dress is the perfect excuse."

Tony found her to be incredibly charming as he watched her. "Good," he smiled as he stepped closer to her, sitting on the edge of the bed near her legs, keeping his balled-up garments close to his groin. "I have accounts at a few stores," he said as he reached over and tucked a strand of hair away from her eyes. He hadn't even realized what he was doing, but Pepper felt the intimacy of it and blushed at his comfortableness with her. "Whatever you want, just put it on my account."

She blinked at him a few times before she quirked a brow, her signature Pepper smirk gracing her lips. "How very _Edward Lewis_ of you," she jested.

Tony furrowed his brow and looked at her, lost to her reference.

"Pretty Woman?" Pepper queried. When Tony shrugged his shoulders she sat up and scooted past him. "Oh I am _so_ making you watch it with me when we get back to Malibu."

He stood up and followed at a distance behind her, not bothering to hide his excited smile at the promise of a movie date.

Without even realizing what she was doing, Pepper made her way over to his suit bag and pulled out his ensemble for the day, smoothing it with her hand as she handed it to him. "Your offer is very sweet," she said as he came to stand toe to toe with her, taking the suit. "But you pay me very well, Mr. Stark," she said with a coy smile. "I can buy my own clothes. Thank you anyway."

Tony smiled at her as she padded away from him, grabbing her toiletries bag on her way to the bathroom. He couldn't help but watch the way her hips sashayed in her cute little pajama shorts.

"I'll be a minute," she called over her shoulder, rousing him from his train of thought. "You should probably get dressed."

"Yeah," he called back as he watched the bathroom door shut behind her. He immediately dropped his towel and pulled on his boxers, flowed by his pants.

He found it insanely attractive the way she did her job so well, and he wondered if some of the other guys in the office were as turned on by the way she did her job as well. She took everything he threw at her with grace and pride and made him look good in the process every time.

She made it look so easy and he knew he could be anything but.

She had everything he needed as an assistant, as a friend, as _more_ …

He was really kicking himself for not kissing her on that balcony all those months ago…

He furrowed his brow while he tucked in his shirt and worked the belt closed. Pepper emerged from the bathroom with her hair brushed and her breath smelling of spearmint. He watched her as she set her bag down and stepped over to where he was standing, taking over the task of knotting his tie while he continued to button the shirt.

"Someone needs to explain to you the concept of _vacation_ ," he muttered with a pointed look.

Pepper chuckled at him as she tightened the knot and smoothed out the fabric on his shoulders.

Helping her rather attractive boss dress for the day could _hardly_ be considered _work_ anyway.

"What are _your_ plans for the evening?" she asked as she moved away from him and sat on the edge of the bed again. She picked up the room service menu and idly flipped through the breakfast options.

Tony shrugged and clasped his watch around his wrist. "Don't have any, as far as I know."

Pepper looked up and quirked a perfectly pointed brow at him. "Not planning to ogle any of the new blood in the office today? Hit up the town with them later on?"

Tony smiled to himself and stepped into his shoes, shimmying his feet into place and picking his cell and sunglasses up off the wardrobe by the door. "I think we both know," he said as he slipped his sunglasses on his face with expert precision and opened their penthouse suite door. "The only one I ogle anymore, is you, Potts."

She blushed slightly but failed to hide the smile that graced her lips at his comment. Before she could think of something witty to respond with, he was out the door.

 **xXx**

Pepper was in the fitting room when she received a text from Tony, and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself when she opened the message and saw only a tiny house constructed of business cards and strategically placed paper clips.

She felt for him, really she did because she knew how pointless these board meetings were. She thought it a waste of money and resources to fly him out here each time they held one. They could just as easily conference him in over the phone, or even a _WebEx_ or something.

Obadiah had set a precedent when he was acting as CFO, and even though Tony worked to reverse just about everything the older man had implemented, this was one thing the board insisted stay the same.

With great power came great responsibility, she supposed, and this was one of those responsibilities she and Tony would just have to accept.

Shaking her head she let her hand holding her phone drop to her hip as she stared at the three dresses before her. She promised herself only one and yet she was completely torn as to which direction she wanted to go. She had tried them all on – twice – and yet still her mind could not be made up.

The first one was a blush-rose colored silk shirt dress with a twist in the front that helped to show off her figure. It was pretty, and so comfortable, but she feared it looked too much like a man's dress shirt and didn't want to be stared at for the wrong reasons if she were to wear it.

The second one a navy blue high-neck bodycon with cutouts at the rib line. The color looked great on her; it accentuated her eyes nicely, but it almost looked too formal to go out in.

The third, a black backless number with a bandage mini-skirt, had her imagining all sorts of naughty things. A simple bikini string was all that held the plunging neck front from becoming a scarf. Her chest was exposed from her clavicle all the way down to her navel; the halter forming like an open-front necklace and allowing the fabric to drape down over her breasts in an over-the-top scoop neck.

.

It was unlike anything she had ever owned, and that was what was most appealing about it.

She hung all three dresses up side by side by side and stepped back, taking a quick snapshot with her phone before replying back to her restless boss.

' _Normally I would yell at you for not paying attention, but I need a second opinion._

 _Which one?'_

She attached the picture she had taken and hit send, chewing her lip and looking back up at them. It was less than thirty seconds before she received a reply.

' _ **Model them for me?'**_

She smiled to herself and shook her head.

' _Sorry to disappoint, Mr. Stark.'_

She swore she could feel his pout through the phone.

' _**All of the above.'**_

She rolled her eyes.

' _You are no help at all_ _ **.'**_

' _ **Always go with black.'**_

She raised her eyes from her blackberry to look at the three again, nodding in approval with a smile.

' _If you manage to escape dinner and drinks with the board members maybe you'll catch a peek before I retire to bed.'_

' _ **You're killin' me, Potts.'**_

With a satisfied smile, Pepper slipped her phone back into her purse and tossed her bag over her shoulder. Grabbing the dresses and draping them over her arm, she made her way out of the fitting room and toward the cash register.

 **xXx**

A short nap and several hours of self-pampering later, Pepper found herself stepping into a night club.

She was a little unsure of herself; she had arrived solo and, judging by the baby-faced men and women she was passing in the long darkened corridor, was pretty certain that she could be one of the oldest women in attendance tonight. Not that she looked _old_ by any means, especially in the dress she'd hosen, but because the rest of the people just looked so unbelievably young.

She'd had days to shake off professional-Pepper, and felt more like herself than she had in years. She was dressed to the nines and more than ready to let loose and have some overdue fun. And yet, here she was without a date… or an _escort_ , or _whatever_ you would have called Tony had he actually been able to be here, and feeling pretty bummed about it.

Stupid work.

The _one_ _time_ she would have been totally fine with him blowing off his responsibilities…

The music grew louder with each step down the corridor, the bass line bumping and sending vibrations up into her legs and throughout the rest of her body. She hadn't even reached the main floor and already she felt the energy of the place buzzing through her.

She was anxious to get out there and blow off a little steam.

When she turned the corner into the large open space she couldn't help but feel energized. The room was very industrial, with extra high ceilings and lights attached to various pieces of framework. The polished concrete pathway guided you directly to the bar before it veered to the right and, with two small steps down, brought you to the main dance floor.

It was dark, with various lights spinning from above the raised DJ platform and down onto the dance floor, your novelty disco ball reflecting light all around, and a couple of laser lights in there for good measure.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Pepper reached the bar and smiled at the bartender from down the way, grabbing the man's attention immediately. He didn't say anything when he stopped in front of her, just nodded in her direction and opened his ears.

"Vodka soda with a twist," she called out over the music. He nodded once and set to work, grabbing a plastic cup and filling it with a scoop of ice.

Pepper tuned her attention back to the dance floor behind her. It was packed; bodies bumping and moving to the time of the music as people smiled and laughed and kissed and sipped. She could feel eyes on her as she scanned the crowd, knowing full well that others were doing the same as she.

"Here you are," the bartender called out as he set her drink down. She turned around and smiled at the man who smiled back at her as she opened her wristlet and pulled out her card.

"Keep it open, please," she requested and he nodded. He turned to set her card down by his station as she set down a cash tip and picked up the cup, taking a sip to test the strength and approving immediately.

Her strappy ankle boots clicked along the floor as she moved through the throng of people and slowly made her way out into a clearing on the dance floor. She sipped her drink while she moved her hips, her wristlet tucked safely under her arm. It wasn't long before a few gentlemen approached her with smiles, curious about her.

Politely, she smiled back and prepared herself to meet some new people.

 **xXx**

Pepper hurried her way back up to the bar, smiling and fanning herself with her wristlet as she leaned and waited for the bartender to come to her.

She'd been here a little over an hour now, and had enough alcohol in her system to know that she should probably slow down soon. She may not have a car of her own but she still needed to be coherent enough to hail a cab back to the hotel room.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't having a good time. The music was good and she _felt_ good and the drinks were going down easy. She had found herself on the dance floor pretty much nonstop since shed gotten there; her feet would be throbbing in the morning, but she decided it was worth it.

She danced, slipped out of the grips of a creep or two, and then found an audience with a younger group of gentlemen who appeared to be there for the same reasons she was. She didn't mind them, they weren't handsy and their attention made her feel good, and really that was the point of tonight anyway. They joked with her and a couple of other women nearby, and everyone was just having a really good time.

When the bartender came over to her he already had her drink prepared and he set it in front of her, along with her card. She looked up at him, confused as she hadn't asked to close out her bill just yet. "Your tab's been settled and your drinks are covered for the rest of the night."

Pepper furrowed her brow and shook her head in confusion. "By whom?"

The man behind the bar looked to his right and quickly pointed over the crowd.

She followed his finger and looked over, not expecting to find a smiling Tony tucked in the corner sipping from his own glass. Her smile brightened, both in her eyes and on her lips, as she grabbed her drink and her card and hurried over to him, her heart fluttering with excitement the whole time.

Tony's smile fell from his lips as she approached him, but not because he wasn't glad to finally have her attention, because he was just now seeing her choice of attire up close and he was having a _very_ hard time keeping the blood flowing to his brain.

"Do I even want to know how you knew where to find me?" she asked with a pointed look and a smirk on her lips. She knew full well he had a tracker in her phone. Always had, in fact.

She didn't mind.

He shook his head, almost in disbelief, and never blinked. "Wow," was all he said back to her, his eyes not meeting hers but instead drinking in her body in the painted-on dress.

So much of her was exposed and yet the dress she wore covered just enough to have him begging to see more. Her legs looked even longer than usual, golden tan and shimmering in the darkness. Her heels… god he didn't think he had a thing for heels but when she wore them he wished they would be the only thing she had on. The inner-most curves of her breasts were calling to him, and _fuck_ if he didn't want to answer with his tongue.

"Tony," she warned. "Eyes _up_ …"

Tony pursed his lips for a moment then shook his head again, still not meeting her eyes. "Yeah… nope. Not gonna happen. Just remember you chose to wear this, not me. You had to have expected this."

She giggled with her straw between her teeth, her own arms effectively blocking most of his view while she swallowed another sip. "Not when it's your _boss_ who's the one doing the ogling…"

Tony sucked in a deep breath and quirked his brow. "I told you once before, I could fire you if it would take the edge off," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. "You were the one that said go with the black one." She opened her arms back up and spun herself in a slow circle. "Well?"

"Oh now you _want_ me to look?" Tony slowly dragged his eyes from the tantalizing spot between her breasts up to her lips – her pink, glistening lips - then finally to her smoky eyes. "I think I'm going to have a much harder time concentrating around you from now on."

"That's unfortunate because I have a hard enough time getting you to concentrate as it is," she quirked a brow at him.

He shrugged an ' _oh well'_ and finally smiled at her, her butterflies coming back to life as he did so.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

Tony took a deep breath to calm himself and then took a long sip of his own drink, signaling to the bartender that he was ready for another. "Long enough to watch frat boy one and frat boy two try to make themselves the crust-less bread of a Pepper sandwich."

Her eyes twinkled at him. He sounded jealous of the young men who had been keeping her company. "Why didn't you join me out there, then?"

He shrugged and suppressed a smile. "Dancing's not really my thing. I'm really better at sitting still and letting people fill in around me," he gestured with his hands.

"Then why did you come?" she looked pointedly at him, slurping the rest of her drink and also signaling for another.

That one went down much quicker than the others.

"Because you're here," he answered honestly before turning his eyes away from her.

She watched his profile for a long moment, taking in his appearance as he waited on the bar for their drinks. His suit jacket was gone, and the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to about his elbows. The tie was pulled loose, left to dangle low on his chest, the top couple of buttons undone and exposing the hollow of his neck.

She tore her eyes away and dragged them back to his own, only slightly embarrassed that he'd caught her staring. After all, he'd been blatantly staring at her breasts only moments ago. "How did the rest of the day go? Anything exciting happen?"

Tony smiled softly at her as he stirred the ice around in his fresh glass and handed her another of her own. In fact a lot _did_ happen in his meetings that afternoon, but he was certain that this wasn't the time to discuss the upcoming changes he had up his sleeve. There was one pivotal matter that needed discussing, but tomorrow was as good a day as any.

"Business as usual," he lied, sipping at his scotch and looking away from her.

Pepper got the feeling there was something he wasn't telling her, but she was on vacation, and whatever mess he'd gotten himself into was simply going to have to wait until Monday when she was back on the clock. For now, she just wanted to continue her buzz and have some fun without work on the brain.

"Alright then, let's go," she said tipping her head toward the floor behind her.

Tony sat up straighter and made a face, shaking his head at her.

"Oh come on," she said as she grabbed his wrist. "You came all the way here… come dance with me," she pleaded, tugging on his wrist ever so slightly.

Tony dangled his drink between them whilst making a face. "I need several more of these in me before I get out there, Pep. And someone's gotta be able to get the two of us back to our room later."

Pepper pursed her lips and dropped her eyes about the same time she let go of his wrist. "Okay," she said calmly as she picked up her drink and downed it in one long gulp. Her eyes blurred a little as she looked back up at him. "Have it your way…"

He watched as Pepper backed away from him and moved into the crowd, mesmerized by the curve of her hips and the way she sauntered with such confidence. She got to a spot close to the middle and her frat boy friends found her again.

Tony watched, deflated, as she smiled at them and lazily placed her hand on one of the boys' shoulders. She tucked her hair behind her ear with the other and looked at the second man over her shoulder, and Tony was instantly kicking himself in the ass for not being out there with her.

He downed his drink in one gulp and nodded again for another, feeling the need to either drink away the pangs of jealousy or work up the nerve to go and do something about it.

 **xXx**

Several songs went by, so many that she had lost count, but it had felt like an eternity since she'd come back out onto the floor and each time she had spared Tony a glace he had been in the same spot, ordering drink after drink after drink. She wasn't worried about him getting drunk; she was certain she'd seen the worst of him over the years, and he had a tolerance that could be matched by no one.

She was hot, sweating even as the song changed yet again and she held her hair up off her neck and twisted her body. She rotated once and raised her eyes toward the bar again. This time, though, when she snuck a peek back at Tony, he wasn't alone.

Pepper watched Tony as a woman leaned into his ear to whisper something to him. The pangs of jealousy were strong as she saw the way the woman touched his bicep and smiled flirtatiously at him. She was too far away and the music was too loud to make out what she could have possibly said to him, but it didn't stop her from feeling a little crestfallen as he turned and laughed adorably at the woman.

She forced her eyes away, dejected as they chatted for a moment until a few people moved about between them and blocked her view. She tried to see them again, but by the time they cleared out of her line of sight several moments later, both Tony and the woman were gone from the bar.

She continued to dance, but felt her will to be on the dance floor fading quickly. She moved to the hook of the song, feeling the crowd hype up as the beat prepared to drop when suddenly a pair of strong arms snaked around her waist and pulled her backwards.

Her heart skipped a beat when she whirled around and came face to face with Tony, and she couldn't have hidden the smile that formed even if she wanted to. Instead she bit her lip and allowed her gaze to drop too quickly to his lips.

They were curled in a satisfied smirk, no doubt proud of himself for sneaking up on her. He placed both hands on her hips and gently pulled her against him, swaying lazily to the music. "Is this okay?" his breath tickled her ear.

Pepper remembered the way she had been cradled in his lap the day before, shirtless and quivering as his hands rubbed up and down her back, gently but firmly. She craved that forceful contact from him now, and she made it clear to him when she turned in his arms again and pressed her ass into his groin.

She lifted her arm and wrapped it around his neck from in front of him, Jennifer Grey style. "It's about damn, time," she smirked.

Tony clenched his teeth and gripped her hips tighter, moving with her and against her all at the same time as the crowd around them cheered for the DJ.

The other men around them had begun to move away, Tony's message getting through loud and clear that she was not available to them any longer. Pepper felt his possessiveness showing, and she was quite okay with it.

Tony hadn't danced quite like this with anyone in years; _too old_ was always his excuse. But, here right now with Pepper, he had never felt so young.

Her long soft body moving deliciously against his, her perfume or shampoo or _whatever_ it was that made her smell like her… it was all around him. Her hands playing with the hair at the back of his neck sent little shockwaves of pleasure through him and the way she was rubbing against him- there was no possible way she _didn't_ feel how turned on he was.

The bumped, rolled and grinded against one another. They danced like that for several long minutes, both of them lost in each other as the lights, the bodies, and the rhythm surrounded them.

Pepper twisted in his arms and came face to face with him again, lifting her leg and allowing him to hold her thigh at his hip. Casually she slung one arm over his shoulder and slowly bent backwards, thrusting her chest toward him and eliciting a series of cheers from the people dancing around them.

Both feet planted firmly on the ground again, Tony took this opportunity to bend at the knee and bring her in closer to his body. As he took his time bringing himself back to full height he found his face dangerously close to the tantalizing skin between her breasts. He could feel heat radiating off of her and onto his chin.

Pepper pulled him the rest of the way up by his tie and whirled herself around again, pressing her back to his front and tugging at the tie forcing his face into the crook of her shoulder.

He was overcome by his attraction to her.

He hadn't even realized what he was doing when his head dropped and he pressed his lips to her flesh. He gazed down the front of her, breathing onto her dampened skin as her free hand rubbed along his arm that was wrapped around her waist. Her breasts bounced, barely hidden under the fabric of her dress.

The firsthand knowledge of just how incredibly sexy she is combined with the fact that the bombshell in his arms was the _same_ amazing woman who stood by his side day to day was enough to make him groan.

He wanted her to be his more than he had ever wanted anything.

Tony lifted his left arm and pulled her hair away from the right side of her neck, and before he could even weigh the consequences, his mouth was on her again, only this time he didn't immediately pull back.

Pepper gasped, and felt a tidal wave of moisture gush southward throughout her body when his lips trailed from behind her ear down to her pulse point. Pure wanton instinct had her tilting her head to give him better access while her hand gripped the hair at the base of his skull.

Tony placed long, languid kisses along her neck and she rolled her head and pressed herself harder into his body.

She wanted him too.

 _Fuck_ , of course she did or she wouldn't have allowed this to go on as long as it had.

He dragged his right hand up her thigh and over her hip, his hand caressing her though her dress as it traveled along to rest on her flat stomach.

Pepper lolled her head back when his kisses stopped at her ear, and she forced her eyes open as she finally turned her head and looked into his eyes.

They were dark, and full of the same lust she was feeling as she gazed at him. His lips were pink and slightly swollen from moving about her throat, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel them tangled with her own.

Tony watched as her eyes dropped to his mouth, millimeters away from her own and he made a decision. Enough was enough with his game they had been playing.

His gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips once more before he leaned in and captured them between his own, tasting the tart lemon from her drinks mixed with something that was just completely _her_.

She closed her lips around his and whimpered, her hand at the back of his neck holding his head in place as she parted her lips again and finally kissed him back.

There, in the middle of the dance floor, their bodies fell still as their mouths danced instead.

 **The song that inspired the dancing is:**

 **You Know You Like It – DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge**

 **Also the dress can be seen here:**

products/deep-v-neck-backless-mini-dress?variant=5475656007710

 **Please don't forget to Fav/Follow/Review!**


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